The key to a healthy colon is simple: keep everything moving. This includes eating plenty of high-fiber fruits, vegetables, and whole grains throughout the day. Also, drink plenty of liquids.
Eat enough fiber. You need 25 to 30 grams of fiber each day. Try choosing fiber-rich foods throughout the day and add pure (unprocessed) bran to your food or drinks. You can also use a stool-bulking agent such as psyllium (like Metamucil) or methylcellulose (Citrucel).
Drink enough liquids. Liquids help your body digest food and move it through your system in a timely manner. Most people should drink at least 8 glasses of liquid each day. Avoid coffee and sodas because they may cause spasms and pressure in your colon. To increase your liquid intake, try the following:
• Bring a bottle or a jug of water with you to work and pour yourself a cup every hour
• Drink plenty of liquids with and between meals
• Take water with you when you exercise to replenish the liquid your body loses
Good Sources of Fiber
- 1 medium apple – 4 grams
- 1 medium pear – 4 grams
- 1 medium orange – 3 grams
- 1 cup strawberries – 3 grams
- 5 dried prunes – 3 grams
- 1 cup broccoli – 6 grams
- 1 cup Brussels sprouts – 6 grams
- 1 cup winter squash – 6 grams
- 1 cup carrots – 5 gram
- 1 baked potato with skin – 5 grams
- ½ cup cooked peas – 4 grams
- ½ cup fresh spinach – 2 grams
- ½ cup cooked green beans – 2 grams
- ½ cup cooked lentils – 8 grams
- ½ cup cooked kidney beans – 6 grams
- ⅓ cup all bran cereal – 10 grams
- ⅓ cup wheat flakes – 3 grams
- ⅓ cup shredded wheat – 3 grams
- 2 slices whole wheat bread – 4 grams
- 2 slices rye bread – 4 grams
- ½ cup cooked brown rice – 2 grams
- 1oz. chia seeds – 10 grams
- 1oz. flax seeds – 9 grams
- 1 oz. almonds – 3.5 grams
- 1 oz. pistachios – 3 grams
- 1 oz. sunflower seeds – 2 grams
- 1 oz. walnuts – 2 grams
Low Carb Diets. Low carbohydrate diets often limit or eliminate fiber-rich whole grains and legumes. That said, these diets been shown to be effective for weight loss. So, to make sure you’re getting adequate fiber on a low-carb plan, focus on getting at least 2 cups of vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, 1 cup of fruit, and 1 oz. nuts/seeds per day. Add a fiber supplement as needed. Drink LOTS of water!
Karen Kruza, MPH RDN LDN, Kruza Nutrition
MEDIA UPDATE:
Check out the recent article “Dietary choices may help prevent colon cancer“in the Main Line Times and Suburban, February 22, 2023.
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